Arab organizations: US support for ethnically cleansing Palestinians reflects its disdain for Arab countries ravaged by tyranny - Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)

The undersigned Arab human rights organizations condemn US President Donald Trump’s adoption of the policy of ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people and his intent to implement this policy by imposing control over the Gaza Strip by armed force. Trump summoned the King of Jordan and the President of Egypt for urgent meetings that will begin next week in Washington DC, with the aim of compelling the two countries to receive about two million new Palestinian refugees.

The organizations call for the officials of Jordan and Egypt to categorically reject the American government’s proposed ethnic cleansing policy. The organizations urge all countries of the world to declare their rejection of this latest colonial settlement approach, in line with the initiatives of France, Britain, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Australia to reject Trump’s statements on this matter and reaffirm their adherence to the two-state solution, in particular by supporting and activating the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s ‘International Alliance for a Two-State Solution’ initiative.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion obliged all states, including the United States and Arab states, to ‘not recognize the legitimacy of the situation resulting from the illegal presence of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory… not to render aid or assistance in maintaining that situation, and to ensure that any impediment to the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination is brought to an end. All States Parties to the Geneva Conventions are obliged to ensure Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law as set out in the Convention’. Israel’s continued occupation of Palestine together with its crimes of ethnic cleansing and apartheid, followed by its commission of crime of genocide against the Palestinians of Gaza after 7 October 2023, not only constitute egregious violations of international law but are dire threats to any prospect for regional and global peace and prosperity.

The organizations affirm the need for States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, including Jordan, to comply with the arrest warrants of Israeli officials accused of war crimes in Gaza. We call on States that have not joined the Statute, such as Egypt, to declare their position on receiving indicted Israeli officials. We further call on Arab countries to officially join the lawsuit filed by South Africa against Israel before the International Court of Justice,^[1] and to implement the decisions of international courts, including the International Criminal Court, not only against Israeli officials, but also against Libyan, Sudanese, Syrian and Lebanese officials accused of international crimes such as war crimes and genocide against the peoples of the region.

The US President continues to be brazenly impudent in attacking the sovereignty of states and the self-determination of peoples and while flagrantly disregarding the suffering of millions of people. Trump has repeatedly declared that the statements of the King of Jordan and the President of Egypt rejecting displacement are neither serious nor steadfast, in line with his overall mockery of Arab leaders that has been prominent since his first presidential term, reflecting the disdain with which he views Arab countries, as fragile and subservient to American and Israeli policy and whims. Arab leaders must begin to act in a way that defies Trump’s view of their fragility, and that begins with empowering their peoples by turning towards the building of democratic institutions at homes.

Arab states have lost politically all their wars against Israel while turning their weapons against their own people. Countries in the region have collapsed or are experiencing widespread crisis as a result of tyranny, corruption, and resource squandering while devastation and poverty spread. The last hope to escape tyranny and deprivation for many peoples in the region is through deadly journeys in flimsy boats across the Mediterranean. The only solution to these fragile internal political, economic and social conditions, and the only means of protecting the people in the Arab region from external hegemony and brutal policies and practices of major powers, is to build democratic systems that respect international law and human rights. The rule of law must be enshrined, and effective popular participation of all citizens in decision-making ensured, regardless of their race, religion or gender, and in solidarity with those countries across the world that uphold the principles of justice, democracy, and human dignity.

Signatories: